The iSchool goes international

Sheffield University seems to have formally renamed its Information Studies Dept as the “Information School”, which adds one more to the growing number of LIS programs that have changed names over the last few years. In their case they are labeling themselves the first ischool in the UK, though given the rather inclusive nature of the iSchool label, some might argue with that claim. The University of South Florida also changed its name from SLIS to School of Information this Spring also. Once upon a time such changes were accompanied by much complaining and doomsaying from some quarters but with other matters pressing down on higher education and libraries these days, a little more perspective on name changing seems to have resulted. That, or nobody notices anymore. A quick look at the ALA’s listing of accredited programs shows nearly 40% of them are in departments or schools that don’t have the L word in their title any longer. At this rate, in another 10 years, one imagines this will be so for the majority of accredited programs, though one hopes this is by program choice rather than closure.